Free Republic

The horrific crash of a 747-400 at Bagram (here) has yet to be fully investigated and claims are already being made that it was a stall caused by a loose cargo that caused tail of the aircraft to drop and the nose to rise depriving the wings of lift. Maybe. The Bagram 747 crash has many similarities to the even more horrific crash of AWACS flight Yukla-27, (here) which was caused by the aircraft striking at least two Canada Geese in the Runway Kill Zone (RKZ) as discussed on an earlier post on this blog (here). Terrorists familiar with the...

'A US war veteran is believed to have been found living in a remote Vietnam village – 44 YEARS after he was shot down and presumed dead. Sgt John Hartley Robertson vanished during a classified special ops mission over Laos in 1968. But now documentary makers claim to have miraculously found the soldier still alive in Vietnam after surviving a horrific helicopter crash. They say the one-time Green Beret is living in south-central Vietnam – where the 76-year-old is unable to remember his birthday, his American children’s names, or how to speak English.'

'A man claiming to be a US war veteran who had lived in a remote Vietnamese village for 45 years has been exposed as a fraudster. Dang Tan Ngoc, 76, said that he was Sgt John Hartley Robinson who was shot down over Laos in 1968, but a fingerprint test has exposed his lies. After being interviewed over his past claims that he was a US soldier back in 2006, he also admitted to being a Vietnamese citizen.'

President Obama and others keep making the argument that 90 percent of the public supported the background check provision that failed in the Senate last week. But if 90 percent of the public supported the background check bill, isn’t everybody super-upset about this right now? And won’t the wrath of the voters take care of the issue in 2014? Not a chance, and here's why....

After last week, I’m really GLAAD to have this opportunity to change the subject. And that opportunity was presented by what I guess are the monthly GLAAD (Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) Media Awards, this time in Los Angeles. Sort of ironic that they were held the same week as the latest Islamic Extremist (am I allowed to say that anymore?) bombing; as we all know how tolerant the “religion of pieces” is of homosexuality. Anyway, guess who was there? To accept an award. Did you guess former President Bill Clinton? “I’m so glaad to be here!” Me neither....

Glen Beck has claimed that he has proof the federal government has covered up the Boston bombing as being carried out by Chechnya terrorists. He says that the bombing was actually carried out by Saudi nationals and that he has the evidence to prove it. He gives Obama until Monday to admit it or his show will reveal the evidence. Is this just to get extra attention or does he have something more? Glenn Beck has always done a great job at laying out facts in his arguments, but we will see. We do however know that on Monday an...

“The depth of what my government would stoop to.” – Just what crime involving this Saudi that Beck couldn’t otherwise have imagined his government committing is he referring to here? Conspiracy theorists say it’s related to an inside job of Boston or some such. I have no idea, perhaps this Saudi is the third party involved in this attack and Obama is letting him go, or perhaps he is part of some nefarious plan for a future one.

Passengers on an American Airlines flight from San Diego to Chicago were ordered off a plane on Tuesday night after complaints about a group of six Arabic-speaking Iraqi men. Consumerist Details of what happened before American Flight 590′s scheduled departure late on Tuesday are sketchy. According to the Associated Press, an American Airlines flight was grounded after passengers complained about 6 men who were speaking Arabic. American Airlines spokesperson Tim Wagner said that local law enforcement was called in to question the men but the TSA did not get involved. He also said that passenger traveling with two small children...

1. Thou Shall Live 2. Thou Shall Be Free 3. Thou Shall Be Self-Reliant 4. Thou Shall Be Fruitful 5. Thou Shall Seek Simplicity 6. Thou Shall Gather Your Resources 7. Thou Shall Seek Redundancy 8. Thou Shall Increase Your Skills 9. Thou Shall Be Charitable 10. What Thou Cannot Defend, Thouest Does Not Own

Remember way back to the 2008 Presidential campaign? Then Senator Obama made a promise, one he repeated over and over for the next few years. Here's a refresher of what he said: "If you’ve got insurance through your employer, you can keep your insurance. We estimate we can cut the average family’s premium by about $2,500 per year. If you don’t have health insurance, then we’re going to provide you the option of buying into the same kind of federal pool that both Sen. McCain and I enjoy as federal employees. We’re going to make sure insurance companies can’t discriminate...

There have been many misconceptions swirling around down south about Canada. While lack of knowledge about America’s closest neighbor and ally is certainly not uncommon, current issues such as the Keystone XL pipeline have brought many to the surface. In an effort to better educate our American cousins, here’s a quick primer on all things Canada.

If you thought some of Seth MacFarlane's Oscar jokes were off-color, you'll never believe that The Onion tweeted about this year's youngest nominee. The satirical news organization has come under fire for posting a nasty tweet about nine-year-old Best Actress nominee Quvenzhané Wallis (you know, the adorable little girl who's been carrying around puppy purses all award season?).

Who else could it have been? Jindal and Paul Ryan have already done it, Rand Paul’s probably still too close to the rEVOLution for Republican leaders to be comfortable with him in a spot like this, and Chris Christie would just end up talking about how terrific Obama’s speech was. Half the reason party leaders are pushing amnesty, I’m convinced, is because Rubio’s that good in front of a mic and this issue gives him access to lots and lots of microphones. If, as McCain bluntly concedes, immigration reform is all about earning goodwill from Latino voters, then of course...

Since when is ignorance of the law a viable defense when it comes to crimes? Apparently in the United Kingdom it is. Adil Rashid, an 18-year-old Muslim man, met a thirteen-year-old girl on Facebook last year. After texting her for two months, they met in Nottingham. Rashid proceeded to rape the girl and was subsequently arrested. In his defense, Rashid claimed that he simply "did not know" it was illegal to rape minors. Rashid stated that "he went to an Islamic faith school where he was taught that women are worthless," and thus consent was not necessary. He further argued...

The Soviet Union may have fallen and the Iron Curtain pulled back, but the plague of Communism still afflicts countries around the world. In this thread, I want to publicize some articles written by various bloggers in Vietnam about their own experiences living under Communism. It is my hope that by giving a louder voice to these brave people, we can eventually end this plague there, and elsewhere around the world. Here begins an article written by Nguyen Hoang Vi, translated to English. In it, she recounts the day that she attended a trial of a fellow dissident, when she...

n spite of Vice President Joe Biden’s threat in this morning’s gun grab task force meeting that “executive actions” are on the way, the legitimacy and survivability of such a move is by no means assured, as the gun ban juggernaut, reanimated following Sandy Hook, has encountered some unforeseen bumps in the road that have the potential of halting it in its tracks with no place to go that isn’t blocked.

Mere Conservatism is a series highlighting the foundational writings that define American conservatism. I hope this series helps the American people to understand the beauty and philosophical essentials of conservatism. I use the term Mere Conservatism because conservatism defines a broad range of beliefs and is not a narrow ideology.

I received a letter from The Social Security administration; they had made some kind of mistake in calculating the benefits due to my daughter and I. They had corrected the mistake, and had deposited over $1,800 into my checking account.

The Obama administration issued new rules Tuesday that require insurance companies to cover people with preexisting conditions — one of the most popular provisions of President Obama’s healthcare law. The Health and Human Services Department also began to implement other popular, but expensive, parts of the Affordable Care Act. Regulations released Tuesday will prohibit insurers from charging women a higher premium than men, and will require plans in every state to cover certain services.

I would do a lot of things to raise money. Some, I’m sure, may even be a little demoralizing, but not as ridiculous as putting your virginity on the line. That’s what Catarina Migliorini did. The 20-year-old from Brazil auctioned off her virginity to the tune of 780 grand. A man from Japan is the “lucky” winner.

A lady from my church commented on Facebook this evening and I just happened to catch it - it was in regards to a medical condition called PANDAS. I know that one of her kids has an obscure medical condition but I don't know the particulars. So,I read the big long story* on Facebook (Short version - child has PANDAS & gets sick. Parents take child to Boston Childrens Hospital. Hospital is acting strangely. Child Protective Services takes control of child. Prelim hearing gives temporary custody to State. Child is still hospitalized.) I did "Bing" searches on most names given,...

Former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld attacked libertarians on Wednesday, suggesting their anti-interventionist positions would result in a more a dangerous world if put into practice. “I have no doubt that if the people of that persuasion who are against, who are non-interventionist if you will... if they prevail I think the world will be a less safe place,” Rumsfeld said in an exclusive interview with Campus Reform earlier this week.

Check my blog out sometime and give me opinions.. Americalastchance.blogspot.com

In yet another classic display of the liberal media, CNN anchor Soledad O'Brien has been caught red-handed using left-wing blog Talking Points memo to counter Virginia House of Delegates member Barbara Comstock on the House GOP budget. As Ali A. Ackbar of Viral Read discovered: Tonight, she was the substitute host for Anderson Cooper, a program that boasts of its reputation for “keeping [politicians] honest.” During her interview with Virginia House of Delegates Republican member Barbara Comstock, O’Brien became visibly flustered and was actually caught doing finger stress exercises as she attempt to insert editorial commentary while her guest, a...

As an interested observer of pop, social and political culture, I must confess to a fantasy I’ve had for quite a while. Don’t worry, you won’t be embarrassed. It’s nothing personal. I don’t watch TV anymore; so I don’t see TV news often. I do however; see Hannity and Greta on Wednesday nights, on the west coast, while working out in the gym. That’s about it. Instead, I listen to talk radio in the car and on my computer, so I am aware of current issues and I read many news sources and read blogs. I fantasize that when the...

Lots of YouTube videos claim to be the “best” way to handle a telemarketer – but this one really does deserve that label. This is, by far, the best one that I have ever seen: Here’s the best method for handling a telemarketer

You never know what will be the next big news story. Who would’ve guessed that the fast food chain “Chick-fil-A” would dominate the political airwaves just a few months before November? It certainly caught me by surprise, at least. Today, I want to look into the Chick-fil-A controversy, the conservative backlash, and to conclude with an honest plea to my fellow conservatives to move on, already. What’s the controversy? Early last month, an interview conducted by the Biblical Recorder with Chick-fil-A President Dan Cathy surfaced in which Cathy reiterated the company’s support for traditional marriage between a man and a...

Judge Legg has issued a permanent injunction against enforcement of the requirement of needing a “good and substantial” reason to obtain a permit to carry in Maryland. The injunction is to be effective in 14 days. Maryland Shall Issue talks about what this will mean for Maryland residents. In theory, this should render Maryland a shall-issue state, but in practice there are probably ways the Maryland State Police can stall. This will be appealed to the Forth Circuit Court of Appeals, and they could side with the state. Nonetheless, this is excellent, excellent news. Kudos to the Second Amendment Foundation...

Chief Justice John Roberts says in his opinion that the Interstate Commerce clause doesn't authorize the mandatory health insurance provision of Obamacare but that following the Constitution isn't important so long as the Chief Justice is in political agreement with what Congress wants a law to do. Chief Justice Roberts has apparently forgotten that the Supreme Court's only authority to act is as a legal body. It is not a super house of Congress with the authority to correct what individual justices believe are errors in acts of Congress. The Court is supposed to base its actions on the Constitution...

The following self-learning course from the U.S. Army Military Police School at Fort McClellan describes procedures for military police involvement in civil disturbance operations. The course makes it clear that temporary detention facilities in the event of a civil disturbance overloading local resources would be operated under existing military doctrine for internment facilities. The course cites U.S. Army FM 3-19.40 Internment/Resettlement Operations, which is now numbered FM 3-39.40 since its most recent revision in 2010, as the primary reference for the operation of these facilities. This lesson is designed to describe the nature and causes of disaffection and social unrest;...

House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) and Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) issued the following statement after the House Oversight & Government Reform Committee approved a resolution holding Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt for his refusal to turn over subpoenaed documents related to the Fast & Furious operation.

On Friday of last week, while at the White House‘s Rose Garden, a very interesting thing had happen to prove that even now, President Barack Hussein Obama did go over the line with this surprise decision to not deport young adults illegals who came over to the United States of America as infants or small children. It took the USA by complete surprise, considering on Friday afternoons is the traditional end of the week documents dumping time. But the really BIG SURPRISE came when a gentleman from the online blog called “The Daily Caller‘s” Neil Munro out of the blue...

Shout Bits has argued that the Mortgage Interest Deduction is not so helpful to regular Americans, but with interest rates at historic lows, now is the time to eliminate this market distortion. Not only does the MID encourage buying unaffordable homes and promote market bubbles, the primary beneficiaries are wealthy individuals as large banks. Eliminating this deduction would actually help most ordinary homeowners. For 2012, a couple filing jointly can claim an $11,900 standard deduction, even if they have no otherwise deductible expenses like mortgage interest. Therefore, the first $11,900 in mortgage interest paid by such a couple generates no...

This PDF document of a declassified Air Force intelligence report obtained by CBS News Radio KNX-1070 spells out what I have been warning about on the air for over a year now: View this document on Scribd The report from KNX-1070 a CBS affiliate in Los Angeles by Charles Feldman (Click here for full story and audio report) has one extract which is particularly disturbing: Under U.S. Air Force rules, drones are not allowed to conduct “non-consensual surveillance” on U.S. citizens or property, though there are some apparent exceptions. What has critics alarmed is that data collected by drones accidentally,...

Funny how liberals try to tar conservatives, Tea Partiers and others who believe in the tenets of America's founding as some sort of nascent fascists. Because if you go down the official totalitarian checklist, it's the progressive movement that is ticking off the requisite agenda items, one by one. Totalitarianism (or totalitarian rule) is a political system where the state recognizes no limits to its authority and strives to regulate every aspect of public and private life wherever feasible.[2] Totalitarian regimes stay in political power through an all-encompassing propaganda campaign, which is disseminated through the state-controlled mass media, a single...

A quick 30 Second excerpt from CPAC 2010 where I agree with Rick Santorum http://www.politijim.com/2012/04/30-seconds-of-santorum-i-agree-with.html

Reading From a homily by Saint Gregory Nazianzen We are soon going to share in the Passover We are soon going to share in the Passover, and although we still do so only in a symbolic way, the symbolism already has more clarity than it possessed in former times because, under the law, the Passover was, if I may dare to say so, only a symbol of a symbol. Before long, however, when the Word drinks the new wine with us in the kingdom of his Father, we shall be keeping the Passover in a yet more perfect way, and...

In a memo to reporters, Romney Political Director Rich Beeson laid out his camp's view that neither Santorum nor any of the other candidates in the race has any chance of securing enough delegates to secure the Republican nomination...... "Super Tuesday dramatically reduced the likelihood that any of Governor Romney's opponents can obtain the Republican nomination," Beeson wrote. "As Governor Romney's opponents attempt to ignore the basic principles of math, the only person's odds of winning they are increasing are President Obama's." Beeson cited Romney's current lead in delegates and a tough upcoming primary and caucus calendar as examples of...

Now this… Kyle Lawrence, a Colorado Springs Occupier, remains in a Denver Hospital burn unit with second degree burns that he received when he was caught on fire during the arson that leveled the Historic Green Mountain Falls Town Hall.

The filmmaker’s Q & A following the screening was also very telling. Their primary motivation for making this apolitical movie about the life of Navy Seals was primarily to pay honor and tribute to the sacrifice these extraordinary individuals make in order for all the rest of us to walk around free. The liberals in attendance gave the film the same standing ovation I did, because they were drawn into an intense story line that did not choose partisan sides. That’s not to say that liberals who haven’t seen the film aren’t making a partisan issue of it.

"FBI Seizes Computers of Portland Blogger For Allegedly Posting Sheriff Death Threat" SNIPPET: "If you're going to target the police, guess what happens next."

From the Tractates on the first letter of John by Saint Augustine, bishop We have been promised that we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. By these words, the tongue has done its best; now we must apply the meditation of the heart. Although they are the words of Saint John, what are they in comparison with the divine reality? Continue reading on Examiner.com The Divine Office: Our hearts long for God - Norfolk Catholic | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/catholic-in-norfolk/the-divine-office-our-hearts-long-for-god#ixzz1melSAROs

Temptation and the Shadow- a meditation James 1:19-25 Remember this, my dear brothers: be quick to listen but slow to speak and slow to rouse your temper; God's righteousness is never served by man's anger; do away with all bad habits that are left in you-accept and submit to the word which has been planted in you and can save your souls. But you must do what the word tells you to, and not just listen to it and deceive yourselves. To listen to the word and not obey is like looking at our own features in a mirror and...

Via Beltway Confidential: President Obama wants tighter gun control laws, but he does appreciate that armed Secret Service agents protect his daughters every day on their way to school. “It might come in handy to have these super locks,” Obama joked at Master Lock in Wisconsin, noting that he will soon have two teenage daughters. “For now, I’m just counting on the fact that when they go to school there are men with guns with them.”

On Sunday the Obama Administration posted a list of organizations who they claimed supported their anti-religious HHS mandate. The list posted on the White House website included a quote from Catholic Charities. But it wasn’t true. Catholic Charities did not endorse the Obama administration’s latest HHS policy requiring free contraceptive coverage for all employees. FOX News reported: A leading Catholic charity group wants the public to know it has not endorsed the Obama administration’s latest policy requiring free contraceptive coverage for employees, despite “mischaracterizations in the media.” Catholic Charities USA has occasionally been cited as a supporter of the new...

Via BuzzFeed. As expected, they’re going hard after his fiscal heresies. I’m giving you Santorum’s new ad here too, which is noteworthy first because he touts his tea-party cred (ironic) and second because he’s now making electability a core component of his pitch. No other Not Romney has been in that position before — but the numbers do back him up, for now: One thing that has remained constant in the ever changing GOP Presidential race is that Mitt Romney is the strongest candidate against Barack Obama…at least until now. PPP’s newest national poll finds Romney trailing Obama by 7...

Two events will mark this year's Grammy awards, the never thought possible reunion of the Beach Boys and the Two events will mark this years Grammy awards, the never thouhght possible reunion of the Beach Boys and the death of the 80's diva Whitney Houston. One might wonder what would interest a religious writer about this celebrity's life and death. Let's just say it offers a cautionary tale.

There are times when children are the most sensitive creatures to spiritual thinking. I'm sure we all have a tale or two about ways in which children express the sacred. I had one such story happen to me in the wee hours of the morning.

  Look for wisdom while it can still be found. Call for it while it is near. Do you want to know how near it is? The word is near you, in your heart and on your lips, provided that you seek it honestly. Insofar as you find wisdom in your heart, prudence will flow from your lips, but be careful that it flows from and not away from them, or that you do not vomit it up. If you have found wisdom, you have found honey. But do not eat so much that you become too full and bring it...

Former Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin stole the show at this year’s Conservative Political Action Conference where she delivered the event’s keynote speech Saturday. After slamming the President, shutting up some protesters, and saying that the drawn out Republican primary promotes competition and a better nominee, the former Alaska governor took a few questions as she headed for the door following the rousing remarks. When asked by Anneke Green of the Washington Times if she thought a surging Sen. Santorum was a threat to front-runner Mitt Romney; “Palin answered that she wouldn‘t consider him a threat but was still ’a...